7/28/2020

Headline, July 29 2020/ ''' '' HOLLYWOOD : SILENT AD- BOYCOTT? '' '''


''' '' HOLLYWOOD :

 SILENT AD- BOYCOTT? '' '''




MORE THAN 1,000 COMPANIES HAVE HALTED their Facebook advertising over the past month as part of protest over -

Over the social network's handling of hate speech, with most major industries represented in the boycott.

The pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Bayer have joined the anti-Facebook campaign. So have Microsoft and Verizon.

Other industries that have joined include apparel [Levi Strauss, Eddie Bauer], cars [Ford, Honda], household products [Unilever, Kimberley-Clark] and beverages [Coca-Cola, Starbucks]

But one of Facebook's most important advertising categories - movies - has been noticeably silent, even though stopping hate speech is one of the entertainment industry's longtime causes.

As of Tuesday last, only Magnolia Pictures, a small distributor of foreign films and documentaries, and the nonprofit Sesame Street had joined what civil rights groups are calling #StopHateForProfitboycott.

''Where is Hollywood?'' asked Jonathan Greenblatt, chief executive Anti-defamation League, during a discussion on July 2 with The Wrap, an entertainment news site. ''It's time. It's time for them to take a stand. It's time for them to say that Facebook needs to stop hate for profit.''

Crickets.

'' I am not sure why they are still silent,'' Mr. Greenblatt said in an interview. ''You'll have to ask them.''

Netflix, ViacomCBS, Disney, Warner Media, Lionsgate, STX and Sony Pictures entertainment declined to comment for this article or did not respond to queries.

NBCUniversal, which is owned by Comcast, said in a statement : ''We are actively engaged in conversations with Facebook across a number of Comcast NBCUniversal businesses to address the use of hate speech and other objectionable content.

Our brands are monitoring the situation, and each is evaluating its next step, including altering advertising plans, if necessary.

The Walt Disney Company was Facebook's No. 1 advertiser from Jan 1 to June 30, spending an estimated $212 million - more than twice as much as No. 2, Procter & Gamble, according to the  advertising analytics platform Pathmatics. [Procter & Gamble has not publicly joined the Facebook campaign.]

WarnerMedia, ViacomCBS, and Lionsgate ranked among Facebook's top 15 advertisers during that period.

Hollywood is sitting out the boycott for a simple reason, said Barry Lowenthal, chief executive of Media kitchen, a media buying agency. ''They need Facebook too much and don't want to make it mad.''

Terry Press, a former president of CBS Films, noted that entertainment companies tended to be allergic to controversy and move slowly, even when they wanted to participate.

A few other industries - banking, news media, travel - are also largely absent from the boycott list.

Senior officials at multiple studios said they believed they could be more effective in pushing Facebook to police hate speech more rigorously by working through back channels. Besides, they said, movie studios are not spending much money on advertising right now because theaters are closed.

Other entertainment executives noted that marketing new movies and television shows would be difficult without Facebook, which is both a hammer [huge audience reach] and a scalpel [offering an ability to precisely target consumers]

Hollywood's own advertising channels - for instance Paramount's buying time on its corporate sibling CBS is to promote a new movie - have become less effective as viewership has eroded.

''You can now get more reach on an Instagram post than through a prime-time cable spot,'' Mr. Lowenthal said. Facebook owns Instagram.

Facebook has defended its policies while also vowing to do a better job of combating racism and misinformation.

''We know we will be judged by our actions, not by our words, and are grateful to these groups and many others for their continued engagement,'' Facebook said in a statement last week, referring to organizations behind the #StopHateForProfit campaign.

But leaders of the boycott still are not satisfied.

''They have had our demands for years, and yet it is abundantly clear that they are not yet ready to address the vitriolic hate on their platform,'' Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change, a civil rights group, said after meeting with Facebook leaders last week.

The Honor and Serving of the Latest Global Operational Research on Social Media and  The State of  the World, continues. The World Students Society thanks authors, Brooks Barnes and Nicole Sperling.

With respectful dedication to the Students, Professors and Teachers of the world. See Ya all prepare and register for Great Global Elections on The World Students Society : wssciw.blogspot.com and Twitter - !E-WOW! - The Ecosystem 2011 :

''' Social - Media '''

Good Night and God Bless

SAM Daily Times - the Voice of the Voiceless

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